Lucy and Lazarus
by BobFrapples49
Summary: When the unthinkable happens, Lucy learns to rely on the Lion to comfort her heart.


Lucy And Lazarus

A/N: I have been going through some deaths in my extended family, and I just thought of this. Please think about the deeper meaning of this after you finish reading, and I'd love to hear from you if you want to give a review.

Thanks,

BobFrapples49

It had been three days since the unthinkable had happened. Three long, weepy, emotional, terrifying, horrendous days since the word had arrived to the young monarchs. The younger queen, Lucy by name, had wept bitterly, and neither the kind words of her brothers, nor the live-and-let-die attitude from her sister had made any improvement in the disposition of her downtrodden spirit. By the end of the second day, she finally returned to the living area having, having spent a long while in isolation and solitary grieving. Her face was cleansed of the dried salty tears and the tear-lines had been expunged from her sorrowful countenance. The next morning, when asked in passing if she felt better, she merely explained, in an unusually quiet tone, that Aslan's will would always be done. Her heart would grieve, she elaborated, but she still knew that something far better awaited all who lived in the hope and promises of the Great Lion. By noon on the third day, she had even managed to eat a small serving of food, but only enough to prove that her intentions were not suicidal in front of her now worried siblings. Yet, still, three miserable, cold, depressing, sorrowful, horrendous days later, her heart still wept silently for her departed friend.

Never more…she caught herself quickly. Not for a time, anyways, would she be able to have a long walk through the palace gardens, discussing politics or nothing at all with her companion. She knew in her heart, perhaps from something that came with her undying faith in Aslan, that she _would_ be able to spend more time with her dear friend. He too, after all, trusted Aslan with his very being, and had grown in faith and love for the Great Lion along side the queen. Of course, it would still be hard to imagine life without him, but by His grace and love, Queen Lucy would carry on.

It was nearly the afternoon of the third day when He arrived in person.

Lucy was out walking through palace gardens, smelling a flower here, stopping to say hello to a wayward nymph for a moment, then continuing down the gently sloping path to return to the castle. As she continued downhill on the final descent to the palace, she barely made out a golden gleam from behind a stone, but at once recognized its significance. Quickly identifying the shining fur of the Highest King over all High Kings, she picked up the hem of her skirt and dropped any dignity she had gathered to run towards Aslan's warm love. She ignored the stinging of the stones striking her feet solidly, and continued to press forward as she bounded over the uneven terrain. Stopping for nothing, neither breath, nor to check her path, she simply set her eyes on the Prize, and raced towards her comforter and King.

"Oh, Aslan," she wept, as she buried her face deep in His mane. "If only you were here when he was ill. He would surely have lived if only you had been here."

The Great Lion quietly wept with her for a moment, as they both ignored the uncomfortable stares of the queen's siblings and a few stray palace servants. Finally pulling away, he looked deep into her eyes as he spoke.

"My dearest, I have always been here. Perhaps not in the sense of flesh and blood, but always to comfort you from within."

"Oh, Aslan!" Lucy cried sadly, burrowing her hands into His fur once again. He closed his eyes, comforting the weeping queen, who had been reduced to a small, sad girl, despite the years that had passed since she had first entered Narnia. Quietly speaking peace to her soul, he gently paused while she recited, entirely for her own benefit, the circumstances leading up to the tragedy.

"It was just terrible knowing that there was nothing I could do. He came back with only a little cough, so I never assumed that it would be deadly. I tried to use the cordial, but it didn't even do anything! I've never felt so helpless in my life!"

Aslan put a paw gently on her shoulder. "Show me where his body has been laid."

"It has been four days," Lucy reminded him. "The body has already begun to stink. Because you say so, though, I'll take you."

Still slightly sniffling, the queen walked a short step in front of the Great Lion, and led him to the outside burial chamber used to house the newly deceased. Aslan continued past Lucy for a moment, before turning back to speak with her. Her eyes were brimming with tears once again.

"Please tell me, is he in Your Country?" Lucy begged quietly, her eyes gently overflowing with the influx of newly generated tears.

"Dearest, you know that I tell no man any story but his own." Aslan admonished gently.

"I know." Lucy's voice fell slightly, but her unwavering gaze refused to tear away from the stone tomb in front of her.

"Lucy," the Lion began, "Sometimes, you will go through great trials in life. Always know, though, that I will never give you more than you can bear."

Her face lit up briefly, and she gave a small smile and a nod as she dried her eyes.

"Dearest," Aslan asked quietly, "Do you believe that I could make him well?"

"You are the Sacrifice for all of Narnia," Lucy declared, allowing a bit more radiance to accumulate on her still downtrodden face, "And you are King over all."

"Then have faith dear one," Aslan proclaimed. "This is neither the time, nor the place for grieving." He turned around to face the tomb.

"Tumnus," He bellowed, giving a low growl at the invisible shroud of death surrounding the burial chamber, "Tumnus, come out!"

As Lucy watched in amazement, the large stone door that blocked the entrance slowly creaked open, and after a short pause, a hobbling figure appeared in the darkened doorway. The queen's eyes lit up as the faun stepped into the daylight. He gingerly began to remove the cloth bandages that had prepared his body for burial, and smiled at the awed girl in front of him. Lucy ran up to him, and laughed happily as the two dear friends shared a warm embrace. Aslan watched with a smile on his Lion face, before gently calling the two over.

"Lucy," He called, "You must know one more thing. Not every situation will have a joyful ending in and of itself. There will not always be happy reunions in this world, or in your world, but there is always hope for the Coming World. Keep faith, dear one."

The two watched in quiet reverence as the Great Lion slowly made His way over the embankment, and continued towards the east and the entrance of His Country.

"Do you remember what I told you the day of your coronation?" Tumnus asked quietly. He stared the queen in her eyes, unwilling to stop smiling as her face regained her otherworldly glow.

"How could I forget? 'He is not a tame Lion.' I never keep those words out of my mind" Lucy replied, slowly turning her gaze away from the Aslan's path and toward the faun. "No, He is not a tame Lion at all, but He is good."

"He is good, indeed," Tumnus agreed, placing a hoof on the joyful queen's shoulder. "He is very good, indeed."


End file.
